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Beijing to Cover IVF, Other Fertility Treatments for Couples Starting July 1st
By Farah Master June 15, 2023 2:50 PM GMT+8 Updated a Year Ago
As China faces declining birth rates and the looming challenge of an aging population, Beijing's municipal government has announced that it will start covering up to sixteen types of assisted reproductive technologies under its healthcare system as of July 1st. This move support fertility policies following national guidelines issued last August by China's National Health Commission.
Services such as in-vitro fertilization IVF, embryo transplantation, freezing and storage of sperm or eggs will now be included within basic insurance coverage for Beijing residents. Deputy Director Du Xin from the Beijing Municipal Medical Insurance Bureau detled these specific treatments that are set to become part of the city's health care system starting July 1st.
These reforms come in response to China's declining birth rate, which reached a historic low of 6.77 births per thousand inhabitants last year and is expected to decrease further in 2023. The number of newborns has significantly dropped as China faces the impact of its aging population crisis.
In August 2022, the National Health Commission issued recommations for reforms med at supporting fertility rates across provinces. This decision was followed by Liaoning Province's announcement that it would start covering IVF treatments from July 1st.
The liberalization of fertility treatment policies is particularly relevant in light of a recent court case involving Teresa Xu - an unmarried woman aged 35 who sued Beijing's public hospital for allegedly violating her rights by refusing to freeze her eggs due to her marital status. The debate over access to reproductive technologies, especially for single or未婚 women, has been intensified.
Currently, in many regions across China, unmarried individuals are denied IVF and egg freezing services as per a national rule requiring marital status. Some private clinics within provinces like Sichuan have already begun offering these treatments due to lower fertility rates.
Expanding nationwide access to such reproductive technologies could result in substantial demand surges given China's sizeable market base for fertility treatments, which is already the largest globally. However, it may also strn limited resources for fertility services and necessitate careful planning.
Farah Master
Thomson Reuters
Editorial Director
[email protected] +1 416-373-8529
This article is reproduced from: https://www.reuters.com/world/china/beijing-cover-ivf-other-fertility-treatments-couples-july-2023-06-15/
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Beijing to Cover IVF Treatments Starting July 1st China Declining Birth Rates Challenge National Fertility Policy Guidelines Update Beijings Expanded Healthcare Benefits Assisted Reproductive Technologies Covered Aging Population Crisis Response